The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1887-09-30

Aunt Jenny York was paying a visit to
her niece Mrs. Nellie White. Mrs. Nellie
had been a gay, thoughtless girl before her
marriage, and her friends were surprised
when she married Mr.. White, a grave bus
mess man, who seemed to have but few
tastes in common with the merry-hearted
girl. But contrary to the expectations
and predictions of their mutual friends,
they lived very happily. Ten years had
passed since their marriage, and two
sturdy, wide-awake boys had been added
to the little family, to make mirth and
mischief, their mother said. Undisciplined
herself, she found the training of two such
restless boys more than she could manage,
and she had written to her old friend and
adviser, Aunt Jenny, asking her TO visit
them, adding with her usual directness
"Come and see what is the matter with
us. Something is wrong, | don't know
what. We love each other to death-not
quite, of course-but things do not go just
right for all that Aunt Jenny had re-
sponded promptly to this cry for aid from
her favorite niece, who had lost none of
her vivacity, and but little of her reck-
lessness since her marriage. Nellie was
over.joyed when she learned that her aunt
had come to pay a long visit.
The first evening Aunt Jenny had used
her bright eyes, but could discover no
trace of the hidden skeleton, Mr.. White
had greeted her with hearty cordiality.
The boys, although a little shy at first, had
soon smade friends with her. After sup
per they had all gathered in the cosy little
parlor. Dick, a handsome boy of eight,
seated himself on a low seat at his fathers
feet, and with an expression of happy con-
tentment on his bright face leaned against
him; while Harry, a roguish four-year-old,
was perched upon his fathers knee. The
time was spent in pleasant conversation,
and bedtime came all too soon. The next
morning Aunt Jenny said, "Nellie, my
dear, l didn't see anything wrong last
night. I thought you were al unusually
happy family" and Nellie answered
brightly, "Oh, you won't find anything
wrong with our evenings. They are al
ways pleasant. And you won't find any
thing wrong with Tom, either. He is the
best husband in the world. He always
leaves his business, and his business wor-
ries, at the store. And try to forget the
thousand and one vexations of the day, and
bring a bright face to our evening re-
unions. to which we all look forward with
pleasant anticipations, 1t isn't Tom. 1t
is Dick and Harry and your humble ser
want that are wrong Aunt Jennie
laughed and said: 'Tom, Dick and Har-
ry; I've heard of that trio before" A
week passed, and Auntie's sharp eyes had
discovered the flaw in the diamond, but
she did not speak of it Immediately. The
boys came to her with their joys and sor-
sows. She fixed broken toys, made pic
ture scrap books, found strings for kites,
made tops from empty spools, tied up sore
fingers, told them stories, and sang funny
little songs. The boys wondered how they
ever got along before she came, and reso-
lutely declared that she should never go
x
home any more.
"Why, Auntie, we can't spare you,"
Dick said to her one day, when she spoke
of going home soon. "You always do
what you promise; mamma don't"
Aunty looked very grave and said:
"Dick must be a good boy, and not tease
mamma" Then she thought: 81 must
talk to Nellie soon, or more harm will be
DONE" That afternoon Nellie came into
the parlor, where her aunt was at work on
some garment for Harry, and throwing
herself on a low seat at her feet, burst into
tears. Aunt Jenny's hand smoothed the
soft brown braid, but she said nothing
until the storm of sobs had subdued, then
she said gently: "Nellie, my dear, what
is it?''
ooh, Auntie, it's the boys, or myself, l
don't know which. They tease me to
death-almost, | mean. Dick has leased
all day to go to the creek with AL. King,
I didn't want to let him so, but he gave
me no peace"
'.And you let him go?" Nellie nodded.
"Nellie will you let me talk plainly to you,
very plainly l mean?"
''Why, yes, of course" was the reply.
"Well, my dear child, you are spelling
your boys, and laying up trouble for your
self. They wish to do something that you
do not want them to do. At first you pos
itively refuse, then you stop to argue with
them, and finally yield a reluctant consent.
They have learned that they can have
their own way by teasing. This is wrong.
Consent at once, Or refuse positively, and
stick to it, allow 40 teasing. Do not be
hasty in refusing; but when you do, let it
settle the matter. If you want your boys
to have right views of life and its duties,
you must have a high standard for your
self, and for those in your employ. If you
would have them truthful, you must be
careful to speak the exact truth yourself.
Fer instance this morning when Harry
wanted to play in the garnet, you told him
that there was a bug-a-boo up there, and
that it would catch him if he went there
to play. Harry was only half convinced
of its existence. for | heard him say 4
,,oct h'Iieve mama's inst maxim b'lieye